The Hawaii islands are often described as paradise on earth. Indeed, the chain of eight islands are home to an incredibly variety of biological resources. Beeches, coral reefs, rain forests, volcanoes, and more support wildlife unlike anywhere else in the U.S. But the islands also face growing threats from habitat destruction and pollution.
Hawaii Wildlife Refuges to Develop Management Plans
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service oversees a multitude of National Wildlife Refuges, some tiny, others stretching over thousands of square miles of ocean.
The 1997 National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act requires that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service develop a "Comprehensive Conservation Plan" (CCP) for each of the nation's 530+ Refuges within 15 years. The National Wildlife Refuges in Hawaii are not scheduled to begin that process until 2005.
Although each Refuge faces unique challenges that must be addressed in its CCP, The Wilderness Society has identified a handful of issues that every Refuge plan should address.
>> Read more about Refuge planning
National Lands in Hawaii
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
National Park Service
Hawaii Quick Facts
- Total acres in state: 6,996,211
- Total Wilderness acres: 142,370
- Total number of Wilderness Areas: 2
- Largest Wilderness: Hawaii Volcanoes
- Smallest Wilderness: Haleakala
- Map of Hawaii's Wilderness areas
